A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve the process for inspections of device establishments for granting export certifications.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Feb 15, 2017
This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise provisions regarding Food and Drug Administration (FDA): (1) inspections of establishments that manufacture or process medical devices, and (2) certification of medical devices for export.
The biannual inspection schedule for medical device establishments handling higher risk devices is replaced with a risk-based schedule. In establishing the risk-based schedule, the FDA must consider an establishment's participation in international medical device audit programs.
The FDA must adopt a uniform process and uniform standards for inspections of domestic and foreign medical device establishments.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Read full official summaryShow less
Upon request, the FDA must provide to the person in charge of a medical device establishment feedback regarding the person's proposals to address issues identified during an inspection.
The FDA must provide the basis for denying requests for certification of products for export as meeting FDA requirements for domestic products. A person denied such a certification may request supervisory review of that decision.
Products from a medical device establishment that an inspector found to be contaminated or insanitary may be certified for export if the person in charge of the establishment has agreed to a plan to correct the issues identified during the inspection.
Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Explore the bill from different angles
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Neutral evidence review
Objective
Analyze S.404 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact
Progressive lens
Examine S.404 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope
Conservative lens
Examine S.404 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power
Liberty lens
Examine S.404 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.